Preparation and mechanical properties of injection moulded polyamide 6 matrix hybrid nanocomposite

In this work basalt fibre (BF) and montmorillonite (MMT) co-reinforced polyamide 6 (PA6) matrix hybrid nanocomposites were prepared by injection moulding and their mechanical properties were investigated. The hybrid nanocomposites showed high tensile and flexural properties, and a synergistic effect of the co-reinforcement has been demonstrated. The morphological characterisation was carried out by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). It was observed that the presence of short BF can enhance the dispersion of the nanoparticles in the matrix. Positive hybrid effects were achieved by using nano and micro scale reinforcement together. (c) 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.